Chapter 134 - Life Under Siege

<---Chapter 133 - First Flight| Table of Contents |Chapter 135 - Not Alone--->

A week later in Ocra...

Only the never-ending din of artillery fire and countering point defense arcia bolts reigned supreme over the battlefield, the ground muddy and broken from the continuous barrages that had now besieged Ocra for more than a month. As dawn broke, rays of daylight peeked over the half-broken forts and illuminated the area. Such rays were once regarded with beauty, filtering between the trees.

Now, they were nothing more than a spotlight on the strewn corpses of both defender and attacker, faces locked in horror, fear, and unbridled anger, their last moments frozen in place while dried blood coated the various makeshift ditches formed by explosions. Amidst the morning fog that began to dissipate, crouching small shadows slowly shifted their way through the field, their grimy hands flipping over bodies without pause. Their fingers ran through the pockets of the dead soldiers, stuffing anything of value that could be carried in sacks tied to their waists, stains of mud mixed with sweat, piss, and blood coating the innards.

One of the shadows kept low to the ground, her figure only barely visible from a distance as a shuffling small animal skulking about. She soon entered a shell hole nearly one meter deep, a small grin growing on her small face before cupping her hands together, making a regular bird whistle sound as softly as she could. Without waiting around, she got to work, swiping her ragged black fringe away from her eyes and immediately trying to flip a large Raktor arctech knight over, struggling against the immense weight with her diminutive size. Yet all of the effort was worth it, as the bloodied knight had been covering a treasure she had not seen for a while. The moment she reached forward, however, a shuffling sound suddenly erupted behind her, her instincts kicking in. She immediately reached for the hilt of a serrated knife strapped to the back of her belt, spinning around.

"Zoey, relax, it's me!" The source of the shuffling sound turned out to be an equally haggard boy whispering quietly, sliding down into the same shell hole next to her. Both of them took great care to ensure that their heads didn't peek beyond the ditch, and the boy rearranged the sacks along his waist, which got jumbled while he was moving. "Why did you look like you were ready to kill me?"

"I thought you might be a soldier," Zoey muttered, relaxing her grip on the knife and calming herself down.

"Only we know the bird calls!" The boy let out an exasperated sigh. "Anyway, wasn't Kola extremely clear that you don't call unless urgent?"

"This is urgent. Look."

"What, the Raktor arctech knight? Sure, but we got already got a few of those-"

"Not that, you idiot. Next to my feet! The garrison missed one." Zoey jabbed towards the half-mangled body of a Versian defender, his face half melted and blown off with slowly decaying chunks littered about in a paste-like substance, apparently having died while locked in melee combat with the arctech knight. The shell hole was the only evidence of what caused their death.

The boy didn't seem impressed. "The garrison basically has nothing worth stealing that Kola doesn't already have. Seriously, Zoe-"

"Look at the rifle!" Zoey grabbed the boy's head, forcing him to look closely. "It's an MK2!"

"No... it looks like an MK.... goddess above, you're right!" The boy's doubts washed away instantly, his eyes wide with amazement. However, the moment Zoey reached forward to grab the Aspis MK2 rifle, the boy stopped her, clasping her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Zoey whispered angrily.

"You forgot what they said about these people?" The boy reminded. "He's a Ghost!"

"I don't care, we need the tenars!" Zoey forcibly shrugged off the boy's grip, though her tone was still quiet. "One of these is enough to feed us for a week at least!"

"A week is stretching it-"

"Don't kid yourself - every small racket in Ocra is looking for one of these guns. We don't even need to sell it to Kola: everyone else would be clawing at us to buy it."

"Zoey, this is too craz-"

"One MK2 is more than enough to rule a whole apartment complex if needed! We could start our own gang if we want-" Before Zoey could finish, the boy violently grabbed her shoulders, shaking her vigorously.

"Are you out of your damn mind? We'll be killed the moment they see us holding such a rifle! Two scavenger kids strutting about with the most powerful infantry rifle on the field now, and we can't even use it! Oh goddess, why did Kola even pair me with you..." The boy hissed, struggling to keep his voice down.

"Then the crystal. At least we can take the crystal and play it off like we got it from somewhere else." Zoey raised her hands in surrender, trying to compromise.

"The crystal...." The boy's brows furrowed as he contemplated. "Okay, yeah, we can say we just found it on the body of a Raktor knight. We say the crystal came from the mines in Tryas, which would dramatically increase its value even more. Right, let's do it."

Zoey bent down, her tiny fingers gripping onto the crystal and trying to pry it out from the rifle to no avail, her fingers slipping off the smooth-cut surface. Not giving up yet, she used the tip of her serrated knife, aiming it at a notch and trying to lever the crystal out of its slot. The boy's head swiveled about as Zoey struggled with it, clearly unable to get the crystal out even with her full focus. Come on, just a little more...

The very moment the tip of the knife finally found purchase in the seams with a clink of metal, a familiar sound began to approach them, the slow crunching of dead plant matter beneath metal soles. "Shit!" The boy cursed under his breath as he ducked lower, hugging the floor of the shell hole. "Zoey, hurry up!"

"Almost!" Zoey hastened her movements, expertly shifting the knife from side to side as the crystal slowly began to inch out from its slot bit by bit. Soon enough, the crystal was free of the slot, half of it coated in leftover hardened adhesive that stuck to her hands the moment that her fingers grabbed it. "Done!"

"Okay, we split up. Head to the left of Fort 5, and we'll-" The boy urged, but in his haste, his head accidentally peeked above the shell hole. In an instant, a pellet shot out from beyond the trees, the heated metal ball tearing through the right side of the boy's brain with a sickening squish as blood immediately began to gush out from the wound. Zoey clasped her own mouth, preventing herself from making a single sound even as she watched her fellow scavenger that she had just been talking to collapse to the ground lifelessly, his right arm still twitching.

Zoey hurriedly reached out for a small sidearm nested in the dead Raktor arctech knight's armor, pulling the arctech pistol out from its holster with a grunt and gripping onto it tightly with her right, knowing her knife would not be enough for what's to come. However, she still drew out her knife in her left hand, relying on it in case things went south. A single pair of footsteps began to approach the shell hole while Zoey continued to grab the dead Ghost, using his mangled flesh to mask herself from direct view, hiding her own face between the bodies.

Time seemed to last forever, the blood thumping in her ears as she waited, not moving a single inch, the last heart beating in a ditch with three corpses. The slowly brightening daylight didn't do her any favors, but she did not make a single sound, her movements frozen. However, it was still hard to control her rapid breathing, her heart rate accelerating while each footstep towards her got nearer and nearer.

Finally, the owner of the footsteps stood right at the top of the ditch - a Raktor soldier looking into the pile of bodies. "Damn, just a scavenger kid. And here I thought it was a Ghost position." He dropped down into the hole, his eyes forlorn as he saw the blown-out brains of the boy on the ground. A moment of silence passed before he decided to do something about it, reaching behind his back for a small handheld trenching tool. Just as he began to attempt burying the boy away from sight, Zoey pressed the barrel of her arctech pistol out beyond her hiding spot, aimed right at the soldier's head, and pulled the trigger instantly, a pellet shooting out. However, instead of the pellet killing the soldier immediately, the pellet only lodged itself into the skin, causing the Raktor soldier to yelp in pain.

Zoey burst out from her hiding place, lunging outwards with the serrated knife with the clear intent to kill. There was no hesitation in her eyes - life so far under siege had been kill or be killed, and this wouldn't be her first kill either way. There was no yelling or battle cry, just a knife that stabbed out towards the surprised soldier. The slightly blunted tip of the knife found a gap between the armor plates beneath the soldier's vest on his right shoulder, driving three centimeters deep as the soldier howled out loud, drawing even more attention from around.

She tried to push harder, but she didn't have enough strength in her arm to overpower the soldier before he threw a strong punch back on instinct, nailing her right in the head. Zoey's vision spun in a blur as she staggered to the side, the concussion forcing her to let go of the serrated knife still lodged in the soldier's right shoulder. The soldier grunted as he pulled the knife out slowly, adrenaline overwhelming the sharp, stinging pain of the rusted edge that sliced his internal nerves. "You fucking bitch!"

With no weapons left, Zoey knew the gig was up. Her head still spun as she began to clamber out of the shell hole, hearing more and more noises and shouts from both sides of the battlefield, clearly alerted by the shouts of the injured Raktor soldier. Despite the ringing sounds in her ear from the punch, she focused on putting one arm in front of the other, one knee in front of the other as she crawled away, struggling to stand up. Large metallic bells signaling mobilization on both sides began to dominate the battlefield while she slogged through the mud, the background din of artillery fire beginning to intensify greatly.

Finally recovering enough to stand up, Zoey pushed herself upwards from her prone position, only to instantly feel a searing pain in her left calf that caused her to collapse again once more. She looked down to see her calf bloodied, with a still sizzling pellet spinning on the floor, having ripped a hole through.

"You're not getting away!" The injured Raktor soldier yelled from the shell hole, his rifle aimed right at her and firing again. The pellet went wide, the soldier unable to hold it steady enough due to his wounded shoulder, allowing Zoey to continue crawling to safety.

Even as Zoey continued to fight to survive, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she struggled to get away to the next shell hole, a small part of her mind told her she was going to die here, but she shoved it into a corner, focusing all her efforts on moving even with her injured leg, crawling on the ground bit by bit and ignoring the pain. However, she could already hear footsteps rumbling through the ground, as though a great mass of people were all converging on her. She turned over to see a squad of Raktor soldiers running towards her from beyond the treeline, some already kneeling down to aim right at her body. The sight caused her to involuntarily flinch, helplessly trying to use her arms to shield herself from the incoming barrage.

Instead, three loud cracks burst across the air from the other direction, a shockwave of air right above pressing her face into the ground as pellets blasted apart the Raktor soldiers, blowing off the head of one and tearing out the guts of the other two. "Sniper! Sniper!" The remaining Raktor soldiers called out, and everyone immediately took cover.

Before Zoey could react, a hailstorm of pellet fire was immediately exchanged directly over her, the garrison having come out in force. She cowered and kept as low as she could to the ground as stray pellets whizzed and cracked in all directions, each one of them able to end her life in an instant. Don't move, don't move, act like you're dead!

Unexpectedly, she suddenly felt a strong hand grabbed her by the neck and lifting her up, scaring her shitless as the field shot past her like a blur, her savior sprinting for the nearest garrison trench and leaping downwards into it. Zoey was far too stunned to even know what was happening, only hearing a multitude of voices talking over her as the battle continued to rage on. Her eyes glazed over as she was carried off towards Fort 5 by two people, who then transferred to what she could only describe as the best bed she has had in most recent memory. It took more than ten minutes before she finally came to her senses, realizing that she was in the medical infirmary of the Fort. She tried to ask questions, but a nearby nurse simply stuffed a healing potion into her, not that she was complaining about it. Drinking from it greedily herself, the sense that she had just escaped a harrowing death began to sink in, her arms trembling slightly and almost dropping the empty potion bottle before someone grabbed her arms, the same hand that had saved her.

"Calm down, kid, you're safe now." The lady decked in armor next to the bed tried to soothe Zoey, but Zoey immediately recoiled from the touch, pulling her arms away in fear, her eyes darting about suspiciously.

"Who are you? Don't you dare do anything to me, I'm with Kola!" Zoey put on a brave front, acting tough.

"Kola...? Who is that?"

"You don't know? He's one of the strongest gang leaders in Ocra now!"

The lady smiled. "Even stronger than Masir?"

"Masir used to be strong, but he got nothing on Kola - Masir is a dog for the government now anyway." Zoey spat.

"I don't think a twelve-year-old kid like you should be talking like that."

"Twelve...?"

"Your age. You look like you're twelve." The lady spoke with a soothing, motherly tone, making Zoey relax a little.

"I... I don't know anything about age."

"How long have you been with this... Kola?"

"Two years."

"And what were you doing out on the battlefield?"

"Same thing everyone else does."

"Everyone gathers these?" The lady brandished the arcia crystal in her hands, flicking it about through the light as it shone brilliantly. Zoey instinctively lunged out for it, trying to grab it back and expecting to have to fight the lady, but instead the lady simply offered it forward on an open palm, allowing Zoey to take it directly. "What do you use it for?"

"No clue, but it's worth a week of rations."

"You do know that's taken from a Ghost rifle. Haven't you heard about the Ghosts?"

"Everyone has, but nobody I know has actually seen them. Doesn't really matter as long as I can sell it."

"And where are you planning to sell it?"

"What does it matter to you? You're just another Versian conscript, aren't you? I'm a civilian, let me go right now." Zoey asserted.

The lady sniggered at the brazen Zoey. "Whoever taught you all of this must be good. Now stay here till it's safe. You over there, watch her, and make sure she doesn't escape." She pointed at a nearby soldier, who immediately saluted back. The exchange caused Zoey to shrink back, knowing she had the lady pegged wrongly.

Leaving Zoey behind, the lady stepped out of the infirmary, letting out a huge sigh as she walked through the courtyard, where squads and technicians were gearing up for the day's skirmish, some repairing point defense arcia turrets and other engravings, while fresh recruits from the city were drilled in the movements and equipment. As she walked up the staircase to the second floor, her mind was distracted, almost causing her to bump into a large burly soldier on the flight of stairs. "Shit. Sorry, Wez, I wasn't looking."

"Lisa, you okay? You seem kinda out of it. Is it about the kid you just brought in?" Wez frowned, trying to examine Lisa's expression.

"I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me. That kid is just one of thousands, not important either way. Say, weren't you supposed to be with Culo?"

"I'm going now, but I was wondering if I should take over the new sniper crew instead, they've been at it for two days now. I'm trying to find a replacement."

"No need. I'll do it." Lisa waved him off.

"You sure? You look like you could use a break."

"Not now when Raktor is still continuously pressuring us. Maybe next week."

"I don't think you'll survive without a break till next week."

"I'm a Ghost, Wez. A veteran one at that. I can handle myself." Lisa continued up the stairs, leaving Wez staring at her disappearing figure. He made his way over to the fort commander's office, where Culo was alone planning offensive and defensive maneuvers on a chart, stacks of stacks of paper laid out in a never-ending stream of paperwork. It was a far cry from the barren office they had started with, though it currently screamed of 'bureaucracy'

As Wez entered the office, he didn't say a word, merely sitting down on the couch nearby and pondering internally while Culo continued scribbling orders and logistics tallying. A few minutes passed in silence before Culo finally put the pen down, staring intently at Wez. "What's going on? I know that face from before. Did someone fail to clean the outhouse again?"

"No, not that. We already solved that. I'm now worried about Lisa. Have you seen her recently?"

"Not while I'm stuck in this office doing basic paperwork."

"Better than risking your life out in the field." Wez shrugged.

Culo couldn't disagree much. Nobody really wanted to die if they had the choice, and Culo certainly wasn't planning on sacrificing his life anytime soon. "Still, some of this paperwork should definitely be done by someone else. I've been looking for a competent clerk for so long.... why are you pointing at yourself like that?"

"I already told you I could do it for you, you can't blame us for not offering."

"You can't even read nor write, what could you even do? Most of the conscripts here were taken off the streets - and anyone good enough in the Ghosts to read and write are better off being squad leaders. I need them in the field rather than here."

"I said I was willing to learn how to read and write!" Wez exclaimed.

"You already learned it back in the village! Lisa was teaching you!"

"Well, she's a bad teacher." Wez crossed his arms. "But seriously, have you not talked to her at all?"

"Not since last week, no. I've been too busy trying to coordinate and make sure the other fort commanders don't turn on us." Culo shook his head.

"You should really talk to her. I think that kid she brought in from the battlefield is really grating on her mind. I get this sinking feeling she's going to crack sooner or later, and it might not be pretty. She needs a break."

"She can take a break whenever she wants, I'm not exactly her boss."

"Yea but she isn't, she's been running back and forth from the frontlines non-stop for the past few weeks. Something's going to give."

"Okay, you can tell her to take a break."

"I just did, and she waved me off." Wez sighed. "You know you're the only one she looks up to, right? If it isn't coming out of your mouth, she wouldn't take the suggestion it seriously."

Culo twirled the pen between his fingers, thinking carefully before finally getting up from his seat behind the office table. "Fine. I might as well make a trip to Ocra anyway."

"Great. Don't make too many eyes at the other ladies while you're there, Lisa might get mad."

"What?"

"Nothing." Wez averted his gaze as he stood up from the nearby couch and sauntered over to the office table, peering at the stack of paper. "Now go, I'll handle the paperwork and this uhhh.... 'lokiticks rapport' ".

"It's a logistics report. Just.... just go take a break as well."

"You got it, boss." Wez saluted and left the office in a blaze, clearly having angled for such an outcome from the start. Culo sighed for what was the umpteenth time today, though he focused on making his way up the fort levels to Lisa. At the top of the fort were two sniper crews, each with a spotter that helped mark targets with enhanced scopes. Lisa was working as one, calling out targets as she leaned against the wall and pressed her face against the viewing port of a bulky scope appropriated from the local Ocra observatory.

"5 meters left, two marks," Lisa muttered with a robotic voice, calm as ever before the sniper next to her squeezed the trigger, sending a wave of arcia energy through the modified elongated barrel of an Aspis MK2 repeater, shooting out a pellet that found its target. Even as Lisa relaxed, Culo could see the building stress into Lisa's haggard breaths and expression.

"Lisa." Culo reached forward to tap her on the shoulder. "I think you should take a break."

"Not now. We don't have enough people to run sniper crews." Lisa replied without looking back, checking for the next target through the viewing port.

"Get one of the recruits to do it. You look tired."

"I slept well enough just a few hours ago, thank you. And the recruits won't be able to do a good job - we'll be wasting time. At the broken stump far left, three marks."

"I meant that you look tired mentally. You need to unwind and relax."

"And where would I go to unwind? This is a fort." Lisa scoffed as the sniper squeezed the trigger again, the same whizzing sound shooting forward into the slow moving battlefield sprawling out beyond the fort, the same old skirmishes fought back and forth over the same positions.

"Back to Ocra. You need time off. Maybe have a drink or two, you know?"

"By myself? I'll pass."

Culo could already feel the irritation building up in him, though he quickly calmed himself down, not showing his emotions on his face as he tried to find a way to convince Lisa. "You won't be alone. I'll accompany you to the city as well."

Lisa finally stopped peering through the viewing port and turned about to Culo to give an incredulous look of excitement. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"W-w-what? No, I uhh, I just need to meet with Masir for a bit." Culo immediately blurted out. As soon as he saw Lisa's expression darken, he quickly backpedaled, racking his brains for a way out. "Uhhh... that kid you brought in... yea, that kid! Maybe we can do something about him. Find his parents or someone to take care of him."

"It's a girl, not that you actually care about that." Lisa rolled her eyes at the obvious ploy, storming past Culo and shoving him out of the way.

"Where are you going?" Culo looked back over his shoulder.

"Where else? You wanted to see the kid, right? Don't tell me you're going back on your word."

"No, no, of course not!" Culo nodded vigorously as he quickly tailed behind the impatient Lisa down the stairs to the infirmary. Even before they entered, they could hear a loud commotion beyond the archway that led inside the infirmary, louder than the groans and moans of injured and maimed soldiers. The two of them entered to see Zoey scuffling with the Versian recruit in charge of keeping her there.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Zoey yelled as the Versian recruit held her in place with both arms. She steeled herself before biting down hard on the Versian recruit's arm, her deformed, jagged teeth puncturing the skin and causing the recruit to recoil in pain. The moment the recruit dropped her to the floor, Zoey scrambled to her feet, sprinting for the exit only to see Culo and Lisa blocking the path.

Lisa smiled and bent down to talk to Zoey, yet her gesture was returned in kind by a spinning kick from Zoey aimed at her jaw. The kick was blocked with ease by Culo, who immediately grabbed the girl's leg and lifted her up high, causing her body to dangle upside down. He kept Zoey at arm's length, and the girl continued to attempt to claw and grapple with Culo. As Culo took a closer look at her face, he nearly recoiled in shock. "You... but how? I saw you die at the factory...."

"Die at the factory? Do you know her?" Lisa cocked her head in confusion, while Culo rubbed his eyes with his free hand, getting a better look.

"...No, sorry, forget what I said. Still, she seems well-rested enough and full of energy."

"Let me go! If you don't let me go, Kola will come and hunt you down!" Zoey threatened, her arms still flailing wildly as she tried to slash with her grimy nails at Culo's face, who easily dodged everything.

"Kola...? Who's that?"

"Doesn't anyone here know about the gangs?!" Zoey exclaimed with exasperation, her movements starting to slow down a little as the blood began to rush to her head, causing her to become dizzy as Culo continuously dangled her upside down. "Let.... let me go...." Zoey slurred while her body was shaken about.

"Only if you agree to stop fighting back. How's that?" Culo proposed. Zoey nodded quickly in response, prompting Culo to put her down on the floor carefully as she tried to catch her breath. "She's just like you when you were young, Lisa."

Lisa elbowed Culo in the ribs. "Shut up. Still, we should find out who this Kola guy is - Seems like there are a few new gangs appearing in Ocra."

"No clue, I only have Ghosts posted to keep track of military development, not civilian ones. We are already strapped for manpower. Was she trying to loot the bodies on the field?"

"Yea, and she was trying to pawn this off." Lisa showed Culo the arcia crystal. "Apparently, one of these can get a week's worth of rations."

"Hmm... the crystal alone is hardly useful enough to use for anything, unless you threw it against the wall really hard." Culo scratched his chin. "Looks like we really need to pay this Kola a visit. Come on, kid, get up. We're going to Ocra."

Zoey nodded weakly as she got back up to her feet, though she stood still there, a little confused as Culo and Lisa began to walk away. Lisa noticed the girl wasn't moving at all, staring at them like they were idiots. "What's the matter? Don't want to go back into the city?"

"I do... but aren't you supposed to handcuff me or tie me up or something?"

Culo and Lisa exchanged a confused look, before the both of them breaking out into laughter. "You can run anytime you want, kiddo. Don't expect to get too far however, we have eyes everywhere." Culo smiled.

"I highly doubt that, not when you guys don't know who Kola is."

"That's why we're going to pay him a visit. And who knows? Maybe along the way, we can pawn off that crystal of yours for your rations." Culo shrugged, continuing to walk off with Lisa trailing behind. Zoey was still flabbergasted by the sheer confidence of the two adults in front of her before reluctantly following along.

They took a direct wagon back into the city, hitching a ride on a returning supply wagon amidst the empty crates and potion bottles that jiggled with each uneven rock the wagon's wheel hit. Zoey examined her 'captors' intently, noticing that they weren't really talking to each other, both avoiding each other gazes for some awkward reason. Instead, Lisa spent the time on the wagon talking to Zoey. "Where are your parents? Were you born in the city? How did you get into scavenging?"

"I never had parents back in the village. I was forced to come to the city when the Raktor troops attacked a month ago, and everyone I met was already scavenging on the way back." Zoey mumbled softly, clearly not wanting to recall past events. "It would be stupid if I didn't do this."

Lisa didn't push anymore, her heart and expression slightly melting at the sight of the forlorn Zoey staring off into the distance. The wagon soon reached the streets of Ocra, the gates opening easily for them. This time around, the Versian troops that stayed behind were well aware of the presence of the Ghosts, though it was clear from their stares that they still had not fully accepted them. As the wagon rolled through the listless cobblestone roads, Lisa noticed that there was hardly anyone roaming the streets, most of the remaining civilians who could not evacuate in time trapped in their own houses and apartments, simply waiting for time to pass. Tattered posters filled with announcements adorned the walls, some from the military advising the public on what to do in the event of a bombing, others more personalized and flaming the war.

Within a few short minutes, the wagon had reached the city's military headquarters, inside where Masir's office was now permanently stationed. Designated as the city commander now after the field army had left, he was equally swamped with paperwork and the ire of countless citizens, seen as the source of the rationing and the worsening conditions within the city. As soon as Culo, Lisa, and Zoey entered the office, Masir immediately shot up from his seat with a bright smile on his face. "Culo! Are you here because a supply wagon made it through?"

"No. We haven't had one get through Count Leon's net since a week ago." Culo shook his head, causing Masir to slump back into his chair in despair.

"You told me the Ghosts would be able to fuel the war, to hold Ocra out! If we don't get another supply wagon in, we're going to have to start reducing rations, and I really don't want to do that again if I could." Masir clasped his head in both his hands, elbows resting on the desk as lists upon lists of the current stock of various warehouses were laid out on the table. "Do you even know the black market prices now? It's close to a hundred tenar for a single sack of grain. A hundred!"

"It's war, what did you expect? One tenar for a sack was already being subsidized by the government back then." Culo took a seat opposite Masir while Lisa and Zoey continued standing near the door, Zoey's jaw still agape at what was happening.

Masir noticed the dumbfounded face on Zoey, motioning towards her with his chin. "Who's the kid? Are the Ghosts recruiting this young now?"

"If she wants to join, sure, but she probably needs a bit more muscle." Culo shrugged. "Enough about her, I wanted to talk to you about the other commanders. You must have convinced all of them about us by now, right?"

"Not yet, and your lack of supply wagons isn't doing me any favors. I have a few of them asking me to launch an eradication campaign against you, 'sweep the terrorists and rebels' out of the city, and seize all of your supplies. People are getting desperate out here, Culo. We've already caught two families hoarding food, and I have no doubt most of the soldiers are doing the same. And we don't have enough men to replace the garrison."

Culo couldn't retort, knowing that things were looking grim for Ocra at large. With no land connection to Desham and supply wagons continuously getting intercepted, the morale in Ocra was steadily sapping away. It was like the entire world was on a timer, just ticking down and waiting for the end to arrive. "I'll try to find a solution - we've been working on convincing a few Raktor soldiers to facilitate the smuggling."

"It better be done soon, otherwise I might not be sitting here any longer. I don't care what you have on me; the moment I think my life is in danger, I'm getting the hell out of Ocra!" Masir asserted, returning to his paperwork.

"You seem to be forgetting that we were the ones who got you into this position in the first place." Culo fumed at the brashness of Masir.

"And you seem to forget that you also need to do your part before I can do mine! Now, don't come back until you have new supplies, Raktor or not!" Masir waved them off, shooing Culo, Lisa, and Zoey away from the office.

Culo turned around before he left the office. "One last thing, do you know a Kola?"

"Kola...? Yeah, he used to be one of my followers. Never talked to him since I got here though, why's that?"

"Nothing." Culo left with a frustrated expression. As they stepped back out onto the porch of the military headquarters, the air and atmosphere of the city were sterile and dead, with a few old people still wandering about, their eyes listless. He began to think about what he should do next, contemplating what was even his objective. The only reason why he was here was because Kyle ordered him to. In exchange, he was getting a cut of all weapon sales from the Aspis Weapons Factory, which meant it was in his best interest to keep the war going. Still, if we can't get the supplies in, then there's basically no hope left. If I die, what's the point of me earning money when I can't use it? I should leave, too.

Culo's thoughts were interrupted by Lisa waving her hand in front of Culo's eyes. "Culo...? We've been standing here for a minute, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that, I know you're thinking about something."

"What, how do you know?"

"You got that look on that face, I've seen it since way back. Just like how you and Wez knew I needed a break." Lisa smiled.

Culo let out an exasperated sigh before walking down the street away from the headquarters, the other two following along. "Yea... I'm thinking there's a chance we might have to ditch Ocra." Culo laid it out straight as they strolled through the streets.

"We...? You mean the Ghosts?" Lisa exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's one thing to try and defend Ocra like this, but the way things are looking, it's almost impossible to get new supplies in. Count Leon's net is getting tighter and tighter, and with that mage monitoring all arctech communications coming through, it's hard to stay under the radar. If they launched a full assault again...it wouldn't be worth it to stay here. Say, Lisa... if I left Ocra, would you follow me?"

"And where would we go?"

"Somewhere safer, somewhere where maybe we don't have to risk our lives like this. I got a good safety net back at Raktor, we could wait out the storm there."

Lisa stared at him in shock as she stopped dead still, not walking up any further. "Are you sure you're a Ghost leader?"

"Look..." Culo scratched the back of his neck. "Haven't we done enough for Ocra? Like, look at the state of it. It's dead and miserable. We've fought tooth and nail for the better part of a month now."

"What are you even saying?" Lisa shot back. "It's exactly why we should stay and fight till the end! How many Ghosts gave up their lives to hold the city? And now you want to leave just because it looks impossible?"

"When Count Leon invades again, it's not going to be pretty. You're not the only stressed out, everyone is. And sacrificing ourselves here is hardly worth it."

"It is worth it! We're fighting for a free Versia, remember? You're the one who taught me that!"

"And we can't fight if we die meaninglessly here in Ocra! We can fight from behind the front lines! There's no need to risk our necks like this. All I'm saying is that maybe we deserve a rest. We deserve a reward now." Culo explained, only for Lisa to grab him by the shoulders.

"You were the one who showed me that despite all the bad things that happened to me, there were still Versians out there that deserve our help, here and now! That is what the Ghosts are built on, and that's what we're doing! You can't just give up because you've done enough - not until we're done fighting! Our reward lies at the end of the revolution, where we will change Versia for the better."

Except the Ghosts is a fake front for Kyle to gain a foothold in Versia. Culo knew the truth, but telling it to Lisa would do more harm than good. He swallowed back his words, before nodding uncommittingly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, just had a few doubts in my mind."

Lisa let go of Culo, but not without wagging a finger at his face. "Don't you turn around on me ever again, Culo. You got some responsibility dragging me into this, and you're going to see it all the way through!"

"Are you two husband and wife?" Zoey suddenly interjected.

"What?!" Both Culo and Lisa shouted back in unison.

"One of the aunts I lived with used to always say if a male and female bickers a lot, they are husband and wife."

"No, no... no we're not." Culo replied embarassingly, while Lisa averted her gaze, her eyes finding the nearest store sign the most interesting thing in the world while her ears focused on the surroundings. Strangely enough, she could hear the sound of a flute being played, and Culo and Zoey could also hear it at the same time.

"Did you hear that?" Lisa pointed in its general direction, where the three of them spotted a few of the oldfolks turn about as well, heading towards the source of the sound.

"Yeah... I can't remember the last time I heard a flute in Ocra." Culo muttered. "It used to be every weekend but.... lets go check it out."

As they made their way to the source of the sound, they found themselves joining a throng of people that had seemingly poured out of the apartments, everyone wearing a look of astonishment on their faces as they followed the sound towards the central bus depot. Strangely enough, there was an orchestra set up right in the middle next to a defunct bus stop, the music thunderous as the song broke out into a fast-paced, upbeat tune. Astonishment turned into joy, before joy turned into dancing. Within minutes, the bus depot was filled to the brim, with countless citizens who had never ventured out for weeks all clamoring to see the performance live. Not a single note had been played in public since the war began, the sudden surprise electrifying the city alive.

The air of despair that once permeated the streets were now gone, as kids and young adults alike scrambled to join the spontaneous festivities, some singing along in their broken pitch with the flutes that drowned out the din of artillery barrages. It was as if the city had been transported back into a time far in the past, before the war and before all of this pain and suffering had occurred. Hundreds danced and cheered, swaying in rhythm with the music and spreading life back through the veins of Ocra.

Culo stared in awe at the spectacle throughout the bus depot. Even as the din of artillery and explosions from the frontline cracked through the air, the orchestra kept playing, some of its members even conscripts who were unfortunate enough to be trapped in the encirclement. The dread that had suppressed the citizens was lifted like a veil, people talking and joking with each other once more, and even Lisa had the widest grin on her face that Culo had seen in a long while. The dancing and joy were infectious, Culo's doubts dissipating with the cool wind that blew through the depot. When was the last time she smiled like that, and when was she this pretty...?

He reached out slowly with his last finger toward Lisa's hand, and Lisa was clearly able to see it from her peripheral vision. She didn't move her hand away, giving Culo the confidence to reach out even more, but just before he could make it, he suddenly saw Zoey grinning right at him. "I knew you two were married!"

Culo hurriedly retracted his hand. "We're not!" He chided Zoey. "If you keep saying that, I'm going to bring you back to the infirmary!"

"You might be some bigshot, but there's no way you're stronger than Kola!"

The argument caused Lisa to chuckle a little, the brevity lightening up all of their moods. It was at this moment that people just wanted to lead normal lives, to find some semblance of normalcy that they had lost since the start of the war. As she soaked in the festivities, she suddenly noticed one of their planted Ghosts approaching her quietly, handing her a piece of paper. "From Desham."

"Desham?! A wagon made it through?" Lisa whispered back.

"No, only this." The Ghost left as soon as he approached, disappearing back into the dancing crowd. Lisa hurriedly tapped Culo on the shoulder, showing him the piece of paper. While she kept an eye on Zoey, Culo read the message quickly, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Lisa, what's the time now?"

"Close to noon... why?"

"Shit, we might be late. We need to be at District 19, now!" Culo immediately ran off, and Lisa lifted Zoey up into a piggyback and hauled her along in a mad sprint out from the bus depot. They ran through a myriad of alleyways, snaking through dense buildings and makeshift slum camps that had been shifted in from former refugee camps that were once beyond the walls. Lisa didn't look twice, not wishing to relive the past again and focusing her efforts on keeping up with Culo. After ten minutes of continuous running, Culo finally came to a halt at an open courtyard between apartments, the size of half a football field though it was packed to the brim with piles of trash and waste.

"You guys must have a death wish - this is Kola's territory!" Zoey grinned while still being piggybacked by Lisa. "Bringing me back here directly might be your worst mistake yet, other than not handcuffing me!"

Lisa ignored Zoey, instead stopping to catch her breath as she walked up to Culo. "What's going on? Is there supposed to be something here?"

"The code says there will be supplies here at noon and that we are to sell them and bring the profits back to Desham."

Lisa shook her head in disbelief"What? Forget about bringing the profits back, its already hard enough to get a message from Desham into Ocra, much less out! And we're almost always at the frontlines, how are we going to sell them?"

"Strange..." Culo also found the message confusing, but he looked around the area anyway, not seeing anything else but waste. "It's still a bit till noon... maybe someone carried it into the city through the tunnels."

"We've tried the tunnels, Count Leon has sealed all of them off." Lisa reminded him. "I get that Kyle is great, but how is he going to get anything here through the blockade?"

Culo couldn't find anything of note around in all directions, every nook and cranny in the connecting alleyways.Weird, the only way to get in here without going through the alleyways directly is from the roofs... He looked up to the sky, unable to see clearly with the rays of daylight bearing down directly onto him. Still, the corner of his eyes noticed a strange glint in one of the nearby clouds. "Hey, Lisa... did clouds always look like that?"

"Wha-huh... that's weird. It's like there's a moving piece of glass there... uhh... Culo, there's something coming out from it! Run!"

They stared in shock as they watched a steadily growing black square approach them rapidly, heading straight on a collision course directly with them. Culo instinctively leaped out of the way as a dark coffin-like structure slammed into the pile of trash with full force with a loud bang, sending plumes of dust and smoke outwards that enveloped the area. He coughed violently as some of the dust entered his mouth, waving his arms to push the smoke away while getting to his feet and moving slowly toward the coffin with Lisa.

"What the hell was that?" Lisa asked as she struggled to get back to her feet, having also ducked instinctively from the attack, trained from weeks of artillery shelling. The two of them approached the coffin, and Culo reached out to check the surface and found a recessed Ghost insignia on the front cover. His fingers found purchase on a latch locking the lid down, snapping it open to reveal a full load of food rations, water, and other essentials. It took nearly two minutes for Culo and Lisa to get over their astonishment at how the supplies were delivered.

"Did he launch the supplies from a long-range cannon?!" Lisa tried to figure out how Kyle did it, but Culo was more focused on using the supplies now. With these supplies and the new method of delivery, its now feasible to hold Ocra out even longer. But there's still the issue of selling it... I hardly have enough men to act as distributors...

Suddenly, Culo heard footsteps approaching him and Lisa from all directions, scavenger kids appearing out of the woodworks in the dozens, all led by a man wearing a Versian sergeant uniform, his face cocky as he wielded an Aspis MK1 rifle while Zoey hid behind him, having escaped in the chaos. "Well, well, well. Zoey here tells me you all have been flouting a few rules in my territory. Nobody sells anything without my permissi- GHOSTS?!" Kola interrupted his own arrogant speech, recognizing Culo clearly from before.

"So you are Kola. I knew you sounded familiar. " Culo smiled. "Seems like you're just the person I need."

<---Chapter 133 - First Flight| Table of Contents |Chapter 135 - Not Alone--->